Fort Scott in Bourbon County, Kansas — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Jurassic Mary
Mary Anning (1799-1847)
| — | Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes | — |
Photographed by Jason Voigt, September 21, 2026
1. Jurassic Mary Marker
The world has multiple phenomenal heroes of paleontology, but the one who stands out as a true Unsung Hero is Mary Anning. On the coast of Great Britain during the 1800s, Mary Anning spent her life searching for and researching fossils from the Jurassic Period. Throughout her lifetime, she had persistence, humility, and vision, despite growing up in poverty. As Mary worked toward her goal of being a paleontologist, she never lost that vision of humility, even when the credit she deserved was not forthcoming.
Mary Anning was born in 1799 in Lyme Regis, England, and was fatherless at the age of 10. One year later, Anning discovered a dinosaur skull that sparked her interest in paleontology. Due to her perseverance, Mary uncovered the remaining parts of an Ichthyosaurus, whose body she had discovered in her childhood. Some of her other significant findings included the first Pterosaur and the Plesiosaur she discovered in 1824 off the Jurassic Coast.
During the 19th century, Anning's legacy continued as she worked with Georges Cuvier, the French founding father of paleontology. They established the theory that prehistoric
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Today, Mary Anning's fossils, including the Ichthyosaurus, Pterosaur, Plesiosaur, and Dimorpodon, are located in the Natural History Museum in London. Her discoveries had a lasting impact on the field of paleontology and made Unsung Hero Mary Anning a positive role model for all future generations. Her inspiring work was a significant catalyst for today's worldwide Jurassic interest.
Fun Fact
The tongue twister, "She Sells Seashells by the Seashore," is thought to be inspired by Mary Anning.
"She sells sea shells by the sea shore. The shells she sells are surely seashells. So if she sells shells on the seashore, I'm sure she sells seashore shells."
Erected by Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Paleontology • Science & Medicine •
Photographed by Jason Voigt, September 21, 2026
2. Jurassic Mary Marker
Location. 37° 50.485′ N, 94° 42.361′ W. Marker is in Fort Scott, Kansas, in Bourbon County. It can be reached from South Main Street south of East Wall Street. Marker is located in a courtyard (close to the entrance) behind the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 7 S Main St, Fort Scott KS 66701, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Eastern Kansas and specifically in Bleeding Kansas Border War Country. It is also in the American Midwest, in the Corn Belt, on the prairies, and on the Southern Plains. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Louisiana Purchase.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Man Who Saved a Billion Lives (here, next to this marker); WWII Navajo Code Talker (here, next to this marker); Rising Against All Odds (a few steps from this marker); The Unbreakable Code (a few steps from this
Photographed by Jason Voigt, September 21, 2026
3. Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes
Credits. This page was last revised on October 12, 2026. It was originally submitted on October 12, 2026, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois. This page has been viewed 5 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on October 12, 2026, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois.
